A new electronic sign at a gas station along the Golden Center Freeway in Nevada City has not been approved by the city council. The owners of the Chevron Station, off the Sacramento Street exit, recently upgraded the price sign to include LED lights. Unfortunately, a malfunctioning sensor caused the price of gas to shine brightly into the night sky. Complaints from residents brought the issue to the attention of city staff and it was realized the owners did not apply for the appropriate permit. In the meantime, the sign installler claimed to resolve the issue by fixing the sensor that was causing the light to shine at one-hundred percent brightness at night when it should only have been operating at ten percent of maximum power. The application was submitted, but council requested addtional time to inspect the new lighting levels, before making a decision. Even with the dimmed lighting the sign is still too bright. Council member David Parker says it is just not right for Nevada City.

Mayor Reinette Senum and Vice Mayor Erin Minnet also did not support the sign. City Planner Amy Wolfson clarified the city lighting ordinance has language to support a decison to deny the permit.

Combined with the lighting around the gas station the sign was deemed to bright and the permit for the sign was denied.
Business owners will have to revert the sign back to its original design or find an alternate way of lighting it.